The Correct Format for a Cover Letter in 2025 (With Example)

A cover letter remains one of the most powerful tools to differentiate yourself in a competitive job market. In 2025, the correct format for a cover letter combines traditional professionalism with modern brevity, ensuring hiring managers can quickly grasp your value proposition. This guide breaks down the exact structure, formatting rules, and provides a concrete example you can adapt immediately.

What Should a Cover Letter Look Like in 2025?

A properly formatted cover letter in 2025 follows a clean, scannable structure that respects the hiring manager's time while showcasing your qualifications.

Essential Visual Elements:

• Length: One page maximum (250-400 words)

• Margins: 1 inch on all sides

• Alignment: Left-aligned text

• Spacing: Single-spaced paragraphs with a blank line between each

• File format: PDF to preserve formatting across devices

Structural Components (in order):

1. Your contact information

2. Date

3. Employer's contact information

4. Professional greeting

5. Opening paragraph (hook)

6. Body paragraph(s) (2-3 maximum)

7. Closing paragraph

8. Professional sign-off

9. Your signature

The modern cover letter prioritizes white space and readability. Avoid dense text blocks—hiring managers spend an average of 6-7 seconds scanning a cover letter before deciding whether to read it fully.

What Is the Best Font for a Cover Letter 2025?

Font selection directly impacts readability and professionalism. In 2025, stick to these proven options:

Avoid:

• Decorative fonts (Comic Sans, Papyrus)

• Fonts smaller than 10pt or larger than 12pt

• Multiple fonts in one document

Consistency matters: use the same font in your cover letter and resume to create a cohesive application package.

The Three Golden Rules in Writing the Cover Letter

These three principles separate effective cover letters from generic ones:

1. Customize for Each Position

Generic cover letters are immediately recognizable and typically discarded. Reference the specific job title, company name, and 1-2 key requirements from the job posting. Demonstrate you've researched the organization by mentioning a recent company achievement, value, or initiative that resonates with you.

2. Show, Don't Just Tell

Replace vague claims ("I'm a hard worker") with concrete evidence. Use the formula: Action + Result + Relevance.

Weak: "I have strong leadership skills."

Strong: "I led a cross-functional team of 8 to launch a customer portal that reduced support tickets by 34% in six months—directly applicable to your goal of improving user experience."

3. Address the Hiring Manager by Name

Whenever possible, find the hiring manager's name rather than using "To Whom It May Concern" or "Dear Hiring Manager." This small personalization demonstrates initiative and attention to detail. Check the job posting, company website, LinkedIn, or call the company directly to ask.

Complete Cover Letter Format Breakdown

Your Contact Information

Place this at the top of the document:

Your Full Name
Your Phone Number
Your Email Address
Your LinkedIn Profile (optional)
Your City, State (full address no longer necessary)

Example:

Sarah Chen
(555) 123-4567
sarah.chen@email.com
linkedin.com/in/sarahchen
Austin, TX

Date and Employer Information

Skip one line after your contact details, then add:

Month Day, Year

Hiring Manager's Name
Their Job Title
Company Name
Company Address

Example:

January 15, 2025

Michael Rodriguez
Senior Talent Acquisition Manager
TechVision Solutions
123 Innovation Drive
San Francisco, CA 94105

The Greeting

Best option: "Dear [Hiring Manager's Name],"

If name is unknown: "Dear Hiring Manager," or "Dear [Department] Team,"

Avoid: "To Whom It May Concern" (outdated), "Hey" or "Hi" (too casual)

Opening Paragraph

Your first 2-3 sentences must accomplish three things:

1. State the specific position you're applying for

2. Mention how you found the opening (especially if referred)

3. Include one compelling reason why you're an excellent fit

Example:

"I am writing to apply for the Senior Product Manager position at TechVision Solutions, which I discovered through your LinkedIn posting. With seven years of experience leading B2B SaaS products from concept to $10M+ ARR, I am excited about the opportunity to drive your expansion into the enterprise healthcare market."

Body Paragraphs (1-2 paragraphs)

This is where you make your case. Structure each paragraph around a key qualification from the job posting.

Paragraph 1: Focus on your most relevant experience or achievement

• Connect your background directly to job requirements

• Use specific metrics and outcomes

• Explain how your experience translates to their needs

Paragraph 2 (optional): Address additional qualifications or explain career transitions

• Highlight complementary skills

• Demonstrate cultural fit

• Show knowledge of company challenges or goals

Example:

"In my current role as Product Manager at DataFlow Inc., I spearheaded the development of a compliance-focused analytics platform that now serves 150+ healthcare organizations. By conducting 40+ user interviews and collaborating with clinical stakeholders, I identified critical workflow gaps that our competitors overlooked. The resulting product achieved 89% user satisfaction scores and reduced client onboarding time by 60%—outcomes that align directly with TechVision's commitment to user-centric design.

Beyond product execution, I bring experience building and mentoring product teams. I established our product operations framework and mentored two associate PMs who have since been promoted. I'm particularly drawn to TechVision's emphasis on cross-functional collaboration and your recent investment in AI-powered predictive analytics, an area where I've developed significant expertise."

Closing Paragraph

Your final paragraph should:

1. Reiterate your enthusiasm for the role

2. Reference your attached resume

3. Include a clear call to action

4. Thank the reader for their time

Example:

"I am genuinely excited about the possibility of contributing to TechVision's mission to transform healthcare technology. My attached resume provides additional details about my product leadership experience and technical background. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my track record of launching successful healthcare products can support your growth objectives. Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to speaking with you soon."

Professional Sign-Off

Use a formal closing followed by your full name:

Appropriate closings:

• Sincerely,

• Best regards,

• Kind regards,

• Respectfully,

Skip a line, then type your full name.

If submitting a physical letter, leave space for your handwritten signature above your typed name.

What Is an Example of an Excellent Cover Letter?

Here's a complete, formatted example incorporating all the principles above:

Jordan Martinez
(555) 987-6543
jordan.martinez@email.com
linkedin.com/in/jordanmartinez
Denver, CO

January 15, 2025

Emily Thompson
Director of Marketing
GreenLeaf Sustainability
456 Eco Boulevard
Portland, OR 97201

Dear Ms. Thompson,

I am writing to apply for the Content Marketing Manager position at GreenLeaf Sustainability, which was shared with me by your colleague, David Park. With five years of experience creating data-driven content strategies for environmental nonprofits and B Corps, I am excited to help amplify GreenLeaf's mission to make sustainable living accessible to mainstream consumers.

At EcoAction Alliance, I developed and executed a content strategy that increased organic website traffic by 240% over 18 months and grew our email subscriber base from 12,000 to 67,000. I achieved this by identifying underserved search queries related to sustainable lifestyle changes, creating comprehensive guides optimized for both search engines and user intent, and establishing partnerships with micro-influencers in the zero-waste community. This approach resulted in a 156% increase in program enrollments without additional paid advertising spend.

What draws me to GreenLeaf is your commitment to evidence-based sustainability education rather than greenwashing—a principle I've championed throughout my career. I'm particularly impressed by your recent "Carbon Footprint Calculator" tool and see significant opportunities to expand its reach through strategic content distribution and community engagement initiatives.

I would be thrilled to bring my expertise in SEO-driven content creation, audience development, and sustainability communications to your team. My attached resume provides additional details about my campaigns and results. Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to discussing how I can contribute to GreenLeaf's growth.

Sincerely,

Jordan Martinez

What makes this example effective:

• Specific and personalized: Names the position, company, and referral source

• Results-focused: Includes concrete metrics (240% traffic increase, 67,000 subscribers)

• Demonstrates research: References the company's carbon calculator tool

• Shows value alignment: Connects personal values to company mission

• Clear and concise: Stays under 350 words while covering all essential points

• Professional formatting: Clean structure with proper spacing and contact details

Streamline Your Cover Letter Process with PitchMeAI

Writing a customized cover letter for every application is time-consuming, yet generic letters rarely succeed. PitchMeAI solves this challenge by generating tailored cover letters in seconds.

The platform analyzes each job posting and creates a personalized cover letter that:

• Incorporates keywords from the job description

• Highlights your most relevant qualifications

• Matches the company's tone and culture

• Follows proper formatting standards automatically

Beyond cover letter generation, PitchMeAI helps you:

Find hiring manager contact information: The tool locates email addresses so you can send your application directly to decision-makers rather than into an applicant tracking system black hole.

Create customized resumes per job: Generate a tailored resume for each position, significantly increasing your interview chances by aligning your experience with specific job requirements.

Access everything via Chrome extension: Use PitchMeAI on any job board or company website without switching platforms.

The service offers 3 free credits monthly, plus a 10-credit free trial. The premium plan ($22/month) provides unlimited usage—a worthwhile investment when you consider that a single successful application can lead to a career-changing opportunity.

Common Cover Letter Formatting Mistakes to Avoid

Even well-written content can be undermined by formatting errors:

❌ Incorrect:

• Using colored paper or backgrounds

• Including photos (unless specifically requested or standard in your country)

• Exceeding one page

• Using headers/footers that don't match your resume

• Forgetting to update the company name from a previous application

• Using informal email addresses (partygirl@email.com)

• Including salary requirements unless explicitly requested

• Adding unnecessary personal information (age, marital status, religion)

✅ Correct:

• Clean white background (digital) or white/cream paper (physical)

• Consistent formatting with your resume

• Professional email address (firstname.lastname@email.com)

• Tailored content for each specific position

• Proofread multiple times for typos and grammatical errors

• Saved as PDF with a clear filename: "FirstName_LastName_CoverLetter_CompanyName.pdf"

Final Formatting Checklist

Before submitting your cover letter, verify:

• Document is exactly one page

• Font is professional and 11-12pt

• Margins are 1 inch on all sides

• Contact information is current and complete

• Company name and hiring manager name are spelled correctly

• Job title matches the posting exactly

• No typos or grammatical errors (read aloud to catch mistakes)

• Tone is professional yet personable

• Includes specific examples with measurable results

• Saved as PDF with professional filename

• Formatting matches your resume for visual consistency

A properly formatted cover letter demonstrates attention to detail and professionalism before the hiring manager reads a single word of your content. Combined with compelling, customized content, the correct format positions you as a serious candidate who respects the application process and values the opportunity.